I admit it. The first time I heard about God's lovingkindness, my heart was overwhelmed with unfathomable joy. A God who suffered, beaten, crushed and died on my behalf because my reckless actions and deceitful heart led me to a dead end and I cried for a Savior for a long time.
And I admit, that just because I have been saved by His grace, does not mean I need to walk this Christian journey by trying to earn and maintain Grace. Whenever I open my eyes in the morning to see the light of His mercy, I am still in awe of His goodness.
Why is He good? Because I have material blessings? Because I have friends I can rely on? Because my family is healthy? While it is “common” to base God's goodness on the good gifts, the unchanging truth is that God, the Giver, is good.
It is a roller coaster ride. To be honest, there was a time when I used grace to attract financial prosperity. But God, in His goodness, led me to attract wisdom instead. He introduced me the reality of life's hardwork and failures. That just because Grace is unmerited, I can automatically attract financial blessings while consuming it like a bigtime spender because I am poor and my Father in heaven is rich. Yes! My heart believed that. LOL. Please don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that we become against financial blessings and live in poverty, what I mean is, as Christians, we live in such a way that glorifies God. Live in such a way that we use His gifts to bring glory to His name and people wonder why: “Why is it that he/she still believes in virtues and principles to live a meaningful life.” “Why does he/she give too much to the poor?”
I don't try to live a meaningful life. God alone is my reason, and His meaning and purpose for my life follows.
Grace has been defined an unmerited and unearned favor. Some people, I believe that there are still “Pharisees” living among us, accuse that the Grace we preach is a licentious to sin! Good thing Paul knew what to answer to that. I remember it clearly from a passage: Romans 6:1-2,
Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace?
Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?
Exactly! People who have been truly impacted by God's grace will be empowered to repent and allow God to change them inside out. But people whose hearts are harden may use it to grant them the liberty they want and redefine Grace. They may sound and act humbled but through the years of living by their own definition, one can never deny the result of their thinking.
I believe that Grace is more than unmerited and unearned favor. It is a popular view of God's grace, but I really believe it's more than that. While there are some truth in that, it makes people believe that they don't need a change, have growth or become mature because “God loves us just as we are.” This kind of thinking limits God's work in a person and denies empowerment. I like what Charles Capps defined it, Grace is “God’s willingness to use His power and ability on our behalf even though we don’t deserve it.”
It is His willingness to do in us, for us and through us that which we could never do on our own ability. Grace is an action, not an attribute. If we say God loves us simply without a payment for the penalty of sin. Action is denied, suffering is in vain and His holy image is just an accessory. Then we ask: “How can a loving God put someone to hell?” the answer we never want to hear is because: “We want a “kind” of god who is loving but has no truth in him.” A kind of god who wants me to stay in sin is not a god but a toy we hug for comfort, you will feel comforted but you will not be empowered.
Grace is God's love in action.
If God tolerates sin, then how can He be called a righteous God if He has tolerance to what contradicts His nature?
Isn't that why a mother looks out for her child so much that she goes worried if her little one has done something he/she shouldn't have that may harm him/her as a consequence of the action?
Isn't that why a father has to put limits and disciplines a child so that his little one may grow in love and in wisdom?
Everything a loving person does is for the benefit of their love ones.
I am going to share what I have read from a book:
“When we read and hear that God hates sin, we must know that it is not because God is a judgmental and spiteful God would put us in situations that ultimately lead us to His destruction of us. God hates sin because He loves us, and sin causes us to be unaware of how much He loves us and how His plans are way greater than ours. God does not hate sin because He wants to throw lightning bolts at us. He hates sin because sin hurts us.”
Titus 2:11-14 says, “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.
Grace is an empowerment to live victoriously with God's provision. Not an entitlement to squander the riches of our Father.